This blog is the result of over 20 years of working in building and renovations and a growing career in writing guides, columns and books.
The best tape measures on the market are manufactured by Stanley, but as is the case with most DIY tools, there is an enormous range to choose from, and so deciding what is the best option can be tricky. Therefore, below I’ve outlined the key features to look for when buying a tape measure, and why this is a case where I always find that two is better than one. read more »
Changing a light switch, or more specifically a one gang switch plate, which is shown below, is a straightforward operation as long as you proceed methodically and safely. This guide is specific to the UK. If you are in any doubt about working with electricity, seek professional advice from a qualified electrician. Before carrying out any work, make sure you have read all of this guide, and fully understand the entire process involved with changing a light switch. read more »
Choosing a lawnmower for your garden can be a tricky decision because of the vast array of models on the market. Before making that decision, take a little time to understand the different options, according to the method by which they actually cut the grass. Also, lawnmowers may be manually powered, petrol powered, electrically powered by cable connection to an electrical socket, or even by rechargaeable battery.
A rotary lawnmower is the classic multipurpose option, characterised by a horizontal rotating blade. Also in this ‘family’ are hover mowers, which are similar to a standard rotary mower except that it floats on a cushion of air created by the rotating blade – consequentially, they have no wheels.
Deciding between a classic rotary, or hover mower is one of those decisions that tends to come into the ‘either you love hover mowers, or you hate them’ category . Personally I always feel you get a better cut from the traditional rotary models, but other people find the hover option ideal for them. Smaller hover models are incredibly light and easy to hang on a wall in the shed – also a good choice for uneven or undulating lawns.
Cylinder lawnmowerCylinder lawnmowers provide the closest, most even cut and are characterised by a horizontally mounted cylinder with cutting blades.
I always feel that these lawnmowers really are for the lawn enthusiast, but if you have a small garden, the model shown to the left here is totally hand powered, and therefore no need for petrol or electrical hook up – surely therefore one of the ‘greenest’ options out there?
Cylinder mowers are also only really suitable for level, flat lawns – it just won’t cope with any unevenness or undulations, so don’t think that buying a cylinder mower will automatically give you a beautifully close cut bowling green of a lawn.
Not technically a lawnmower, a strimmer makes cutting edges that are inaccessible to the lawnmower an easy job -certainly in comparison to using hand-held shears.
Although technology keeps marching forward, I still don’t think that rechargeable batteries provide the necessary power for most lawnmowers, but with a strimmer, as shown in the model to the right, it’s a perfect adaptation.
Lawnmowers may be self-propelled, so that you literally only have to guide or steer them rather than push them around the garden. Although self-propelled mowers will be more expensive than those that you have to push, it is an option worth considering if you have a large, or sloping lawn.
Of course for extra large gardens you could think about a ride on mower but you will be entering a different league in terms of price, as well as storage considerations.
All the big outlets have good lawnmower selections, so it is definitely worth trying such stores as B&Q, Screwfix, and Amazon
Mythic Paint is a relatively new player in the UK market, and they offer a selection of water-based paints for both the interior and exterior of your home. Okay, nothing too exciting in that introduction, but where my interest certainly began to perk up was when I noticed that all their paints contains zero VOCs (nasty chemicals), zero carcinogens (very nasty chemicals), are completely non-toxic, and have literally no smell. Now, there are other ‘user-friendly’ paints around, but none that have stirred up this amount of interest in the ‘trade’ marketplace. read more »
Buying a handsaw for your DIY needs sounds simple, but the enormous array of options on the market, can make the whole process pretty confusing. Defining a handsaw in itself can be complicated as you could include any hand held saw in this category, but for the purpose of this guide I’m talking about the basic, general purpose saw, normally called a panel saw, with the easily recognisable shape shown below. read more »